Can We Promise We Won't Let Go?
by BregoArodShadowfax
Summary: Spoilers for 2x06.  "You're a hundred times braver than he'll ever be because you don't care what the world thinks, and that's one of the things I…I really like about you".  Post 2x06, Finn and Kurt realize they've got some things to work out.


**Title: Can We Promise We Won't Let Go?**

**Fandom: **Glee

**Rating: **PG-13 ish, I suppose…it's pretty much angsty fluff.

**Pairing: **Finn/Kurt (friends or maybe more, depending on how much you wish to read into it…)

**Chapter: **1/1

**Word Count: **2815

**Notes/Spoilers: **Up to 2x06, and partly my head!canon in order to rectify the appalling lack of Finn/Kurt supportive interaction in the last few episodes. Also because I think Kurt needs some sunshine in his life. Enjoy :)

**Disclaimer: **…Nope, still not mine. Darn. I'd like to say I'd treat Kurt better if it was, but his angst gives me plot bunnies galore, so…

**Can We Promise We Won't Let Go?**

Kurt pressed the 'send' button on his phone, wondering if he was doing the right thing.

He and Mercedes hadn't spoken seriously for a while, not since his dad had been in the hospital, and while Blaine was great as a sounding board and had really helped him out, he didn't really want their friendship to be based on Kurt complaining to him all the time.

Plus, no matter how great the boy was (and he was wonderful, really), there were some things you just didn't talk about with a guy you'd just met. Kurt was honestly amazed that Blaine had earned his trust so quickly, because he was distrustful by nature, but somehow the other student had done it.

The ringing stopped and Mercedes answered, "Hey."

"Mercedes? I…really need to talk to you," Kurt said, somewhat embarrassed at how shaky his voice was. Just _thinking _about it made him shiver, and Mercedes seemed to sense that he was really upset because while normally she would tease him about not calling for so long, she was completely serious when she replied.

"What's up, Kurt? You sound like you need to get something off your chest."

"Yeah. I do," Kurt cleared his throat and began to explain, the words tumbling out of his mouth as he told her almost everything: what had happened at Dalton, who Blaine was and how great he was being, the kiss…

"Hold up, my man," Mercedes interrupted him. "Karofsky kissed you."

"Yes."

"_Karofsky. _As in, completely homophobic Karofsky," she sounded incredulous, and Kurt couldn't blame her.

"Yeah."

"I don't even know what to say to that," Mercedes finally replied, and Kurt inwardly surmised that it the news was enough to make Mercedes speechless, it had to be big.

"You know, neither do I."

"Look, I'm sorry your first kiss had to be…like that," she added.

"Yeah. Kind of ruins the whole 'special moment' thing," he said wryly, flopping back on his bed.

"And he tried to kiss you again?"

"He did."

"I…I mean, do you think he actually _likes _you, or was it just…"

"Because I'm the only gay kid at school? I really don't know, Mercedes, but if he _does _like me, slamming my head into the lockers several times a week is something a Neanderthal would do. It's like he's stuck in the era of the caveman," Kurt sniffed. "And since he's currently acting like nothing happened, I'm doubtful."

"Do you…I mean, _could _you like him?" she sounded kind of weirded out that she was even asking this, and Kurt couldn't blame her.

"No. Not unless he has a complete personality overload. Besides, if he wants to get my attention, assaulting me is not the way to do it," Kurt mused.

"No kidding. Anyway, less serious topic. This Blaine kid."

"Yes?"

"You like him."

"I'm that obvious, am I?" Kurt sighed and Mercedes laughed on the other end of the line.

"You were gettin' all breathy just thinking about him, my man," she teased. "And I think it's great that you have him, but don't forget your old friends, okay?"

"I could never forget about you," Kurt said honestly, pausing as he heard the staircase creak and knowing instinctively what that meant. "Shoot, I forgot."

"What's up?"

"Finn. He's trying to hide but I know he's been listening."

"Well, good luck with that one," Mercedes didn't _sound _all that apologetic, and Kurt rolled his eyes, knowing she couldn't see him.

"Thank you for your support. Call you later?"

"I'll be here. Later, Kurt."

"Bye," Kurt hung up the phone, counting to five before Finn tromped down the stairs and strode over to him, fuming.

"I'll kill him!"

"Hello, Finn Hudson. Do you make a habit of eavesdropping on private conversations?" Kurt said coolly, but Finn completely ignored him and continued to pace, hands clenched into fists.

"I'm gonna kill him!"

"As heroic and noble as your intentions may be, that would only serve to land you in prison, and I'm sure you don't wish for that," Kurt continued, knowing that Finn wasn't listening in the least, but finally the taller boy turned to him, his dark eyes haunted.

"God, Kurt…"

"It's over," Kurt said firmly. "It happened. He's vehemently denying it happened, so I would say that the chances of it happening again are rather slim. Aside from that, I don't think I'll be following him into empty locker rooms anytime soon."

"I just…_God," _Finn covered his face with his hands, sighing heavily. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"We're not actually _family, _Finn. I'm not obligated to tell you every little thing…"

"Dude, this is _not _'little.' This is…like assault, and if you told Figgins…"

"You really think Figgins would listen to me?"

"Then tell Mr. Schue! He'll get expelled!"

"Again, I don't think revenge is the best way to solve this," Kurt blinked rapidly and looked at the floor, wondering why this was so hard. When it had happened, he'd been so in shock he hadn't processed it, and while when he'd gotten home that night he'd wanted nothing more than to throw up everything in his stomach, since then the whole situation had a kind of unreal feeling around it: he knew it had happened, but he couldn't process that it had happened to _him. _

But now, for some reason, everything was coming back to him with complete clarity, and he knew he was one step away from breaking down.

He couldn't break down.

Not in front of Finn.

"Then _I'll _tell Mr. Schue," Finn started to match toward the stairs, almost as if he were going to go _that instant, _and Kurt knew he had to speak up.

"No."

"But…"

"Finn," Kurt patted the bed, wondering if Finn would come sit beside him, but the boy surprised him by doing so immediately. "Mr. Schue saw Karofsky push me into a locker so hard I fell over, and he took me to his office. Instead of going to the principal, do you know what he said to me? He said that I was beginning to act like it was getting to me. Can you imagine? It's like…it's like he thinks it's my penance or something to put up with the abuse and come out of it smiling. So no, Mr. Schue's not going to help me."

"Well, we gotta do _something!_" Finn exclaimed.

"No, we don't," Kurt said firmly. "Besides, who would believe me over Karofsky? That boy is so deep in the closet I doubt he'll ever find his way out."

"Yeah. But, I mean, the more people you tell…"

"We're all Glee. Everybody else will just think it's some sort of club conspiracy, and…" Kurt shrugged, not wanting to continue. He'd seen stories on television, of course, and while he didn't _think _Karofsky would come after him with a baseball bat or anything, it was best just to let the situation stay how it was. If he tried anything like that again…well, he'd cross that bridge when he came to it.

"Yeah," Finn quieted for a moment, trying to compose his thoughts. "It just…it kills me that I haven't been there for you, man. I promised that I'd be…"

"Yes, your presence in my life of late has been sadly lacking," Kurt snapped, probably more harshly than he'd first intended, and Finn visibly flinched at the biting words.

"I know, dude. But with Rachel…"

"Surprisingly, and I never thought I'd say this, but it isn't Rachel that's the problem," Kurt admitted, and Finn pondered that for a moment before the realization hit him.

"Sam."

"Yes. I'm surprised more people haven't labeled the two of you as boyfriends with the amount of time you've been spending together," Kurt pulled his feet up onto the bed and wrapped his arms around his knees.

"Aw, I'm sorry," Finn was looking at him but Kurt didn't want to meet his eyes. "I guess promising to be there from now on wouldn't be very convincing, huh?"

"You're not my babysitter or my guardian, Finn," Kurt was still angry, but once again it was seeping into this strange despair that he wished would leave him alone.

"But I'm your friend," Finn countered. "We're like family, dude…and what if Karofsky had really hurt you? I know you're tough, man, but you wouldn't stand a chance against him."

Kurt wasn't going to admit that Finn was probably right, so he stayed silent, curling into himself even further.

"Okay," Finn started once it was evident Kurt wasn't speaking anytime soon. "So we can't do anything about him now. What about Dalton? I mean, this Blaine kid sounds awesome, so…could you transfer? I mean, I'd hate for you to go, and I know the Club would really miss you, but it's what's best for you, right?"

"Oh, Finn," Kurt couldn't help smiling, because he hadn't quite realized how much he'd missed Finn and his eternal good intentions. He'd been worried that with spending more time with Rachel and Sam Finn was becoming more selfish, but then there were times he was back to his old innocent self, and Kurt was glad for that.

"So?" Finn looked hopeful.

"Blaine told me not to run, and I don't want to," he shook his head. "I'm not leaving you or the Club alone, because, let's face it: you need me," he forced a smile onto his face that turned a little more genuine when Finn laughed. "Besides, with Dad not working and us still having to pay for his hospital stay, I don't have any money to get in."

"Okay," Finn sounded like he accepted this for what it was and leant back, leaning on his elbows. "So…I mean, this is a really horrible thing for me to ask and everything, but…after you and Brittany had your…whatever it was, you told me that you didn't feel anything when you were kissing her. Was this…"

Kurt supposed the question should only have made him angrier, but Finn was completely earnest and once again he felt his heart clench with something he couldn't quite describe. "It…apart from the fact that he assaulted me and tried to eat my face, I was definitely more upset by the fact that I had no say than the fact that I was being kissed by another boy," he said truthfully. "I _know _I'm gay, Finn; this was never something I could change even though I tried to."

"Yeah. I mean, it sounds weird to say it, but I can't imagine you with a girl, y'know?"

"I'm not sure how to take that," Kurt glanced sideways, and Finn ducked his head in embarrassment and looked at him shyly.

"I just mean that you are who you are, and you shouldn't be ashamed of that."

"Thank you, but you're one of the only people who sees it like that," his voice cracked a little on that line, and at this point he figured a breakdown was inevitable, but even though he felt comfortable shedding tears in front of Blaine he couldn't conceive of letting Finn see him so weak. He hoped the other boy left soon.

"Dude, they're just blind. I mean, they all think Karofsky's tough 'cuz he's on the hockey team or whatever, but you know what?" Finn turned to him fully and Kurt had no choice but to meet his eyes, blinking furiously to stave off tears. "They're all wrong. You're one of the bravest people I know, Kurt Hummel, because you've never hidden who you are. You're proud of it, if anything, and even though Karofsky might have tough friends and acts like he can push you around 'cuz he feels like it, he's nothing more than a coward. You're a hundred times braver than he'll ever be because you don't care what the world thinks, and that's one of the things I…I really like about you. So don't care what anybody says, Kurt; we're your friends, and we know the truth, so who cares what a couple of…what d'you call them…Neanderthals think?"

Kurt stares at Finn, eyes wide, before hiccupping and putting his hand over his mouth, pretty much owning up to the fact that he's crying now. God, how did he live without Finn being there for so long? He still loved him, but it was turning into something more than a crush, now; he _needed _Finn, and even if they were never together in a sexual way, he needed him to be there because, for his limited vocabulary, he said things in a way that lifted Kurt's spirits in a way that nobody else could.

"Hey, man…are you okay?"

"Yeah," Kurt sniffed, turning away and standing to go into the washroom and compose himself, but Finn grabbed his wrist and stopped him.

"Hey, it's okay to cry, y'know?"

"I've been doing a lot of it lately," Kurt said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper.

"You've been through a lot, lately. And I'm sorry, again, that I wasn't there to help you through it," Finn tugged gently on his wrist and Kurt finally went along with it, although he tensed when Finn lay back on the bed and tugged the smaller boy on top of him.

However, it only took Finn putting his arms around him before he broke down completely, and he fisted his hands in the other boy's cheap polo and sobbed, trying vainly to reign in his tears but finding it hopeless.

"Hey," Finn was stroking his hair, sounding a little unsure, now, and Kurt tried to pull away. "No, don't go anywhere," Finn said softly, his low voice reassuring, and he kept a firm hand on Kurt's back to keep him in place.

"Are…are you sure?"

"Yeah, dude. I mean, I know what it's like, and no matter how strong you are or how much to want to hide…sometimes you just need somebody to hold you. Y'know when we had that assignment last year and my mom caught me singing to Quinn's baby?"

"Yeah," Kurt whispered, sniffling.

"I was so scared she was going to yell at me or disown me or something, and I just started to cry. But she was awesome; she didn't yell at me or scold me or anything…she just held me until I'd finished crying. And even though I didn't know it at the time, that was what I needed the most," his voice was soothing, and Kurt found himself instinctively relaxing into Finn's embrace, thinking idly that this was the position he'd most wanted to be in for the past few years. For once, it seemed, his fantasies weren't wrong; he felt warm and safe in Finn's arms, like the outside world couldn't hurt him, and he never wanted to leave.

"Finn?"

"Yeah, dude?"

"Thank you. For understanding."

" 'Course, man. You've been through way too much and I just want you to be happy, because you deserve it," Finn let his cheek rest on Kurt's hair. "Feel better?"

"Yeah," Kurt admitted, wondering if he should get up, but a yawn interrupted him before he could say any more. Crying always drained him and left him exhausted, but the _last _thing he wanted to do was fall asleep on Finn. That would just be weird.

"Hey, go to sleep if you want," Finn spoke as if he knew exactly what Kurt had been thinking about. "I've got nowhere to go, so nap for a while."

"Mm," Kurt wasn't sure if that was a noise of agreement, but he was quite sure he didn't want to move.

"And then maybe we'll make some dinner and watch a musical or something, okay?"

"You don't have to be so nice."

"Least I can do to make up for how I've been acting," Finn said honestly, and Kurt decided that, since that sounded like a pretty wonderful evening, he wasn't going to protest. "And I promise that, if I can be there for you, I will be. You're not in this alone, Kurt."

"I know. Thank you," Kurt felt his eyes slipping closed and he sighed, snuggling closer to Finn as the other boy went back to stroking his hair. Despite everything, Finn miraculously _got _him in a way he thought nobody ever would again, not since his mother had passed away. He knew it wouldn't be easy, and he knew that there would be more hardships ahead, but he wasn't going to hide who he was because of a few ignorant jocks.

And as long as he had his friends to help him get through everything, he knew that life was going to be a lot more bearable.

With that thought in mind, he mumbled another 'thank you' before his eyes closed and he fell into an easy sleep, safe in the arms of one of the people he trusted more than anybody.

And really, he couldn't ask for more than that.

**Additional Notes: **So, I have a bunch of request fics and other stories to finish writing, but this idea wouldn't go away, so I thought I'd best get it out :) I haven't written straight Finn/Kurt for a few months, so I enjoyed getting to write them again.

Hope you enjoyed, and leave me a review/comment/what-have-you if you feel so inclined :D

Also, the title comes from the song 'Stereo Love' by Edward Maya. ^-^


End file.
